Panthers coach Ivan Cleary says the definition of a hip-drop tackle has changed considerably over the past few years and is adamant Mitch Kenny should not have been sent to the sin bin for a play that forced Eels fullback Isaiah Iongi off with a suspected syndesmosis injury.

Iongi is set for scans after he was forced from the field early in the second half, while there are grave concerns for teammate Matt Doorey who came off with a suspected season-ending ACL tear.

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“There’s not much to say about it. It’s a suspected ACL, and ‘Issy’ is a suspected syndesmosis (injury),” Eels coach Jason Ryles said.

“Someone else gets an opportunity at their misfortune.”

The Eels lost J’maine Hopgood just last week to a serious ACL injury that has ended his 2026 campaign, with Dragons forward Ryan Couchman banned for four matches at the judiciary on Tuesday for a hip drop.

Ryles said after the Dragons clash that tackles like that were a result of the game being sped up with increased set restarts this year.

“I don’t change my stance on those ones,” he said.

“The players don’t mean to do it. But unfortunately, it happens in the game.

“It’s like someone doesn’t mean to tackle anyone high. No one goes out there to maim anyone, but it happens.

“When you play a full contact sport like we do and you get tired, you (find yourself) in those positions.”

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Ivan Cleary is confused around the hip drop tackle.Source: FOX SPORTS

While Ryles has been vocal about hip drops, his Panthers counterpart is adamant that Kenny’s tackle didn’t meet the criteria.

Cleary said he felt for Iongi who made his NRL debut for Penrith in 2024 but is baffled by the current interpretation of a tackle that crept into the game a few years ago.

“I think it’s unfortunate and I feel for Issy. I’m not sure how bad the injury is, but all our boys are great mates with him and he’s a great kid and a great player,” he said.

“You never want to see anyone injured, but I don’t think the hip-drop origin looked like that.

“It was a one man tackle against a very fast, powerful player. At the time, I actually thought ‘what a great tackle’ because he stepped and beat ‘Ice’ (Isaiah Papali’i).

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“I just find it unfortunate. I’ll go back to when the hip drop was first introduced, and it was totally different to that. But somehow someone has changed the laws.

“I don’t know who did it, but ultimately it feels like we’ve gone back to if there’s a body, someone killed him.”

Kenny was banned for two matches last year for a hip-drop tackle on Roosters forward Nat Butcher and now faces a nervous wait for the charge sheet to drop.

His coach has already won a big case at the judiciary this year when he got Nathan Cleary off at NRL headquarters, but it’s unclear whether Ivan would step in again if required for a tackle that he says didn’t warrant 10 minutes in the sin bin.

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“I don’t know what you can do about that one we saw tonight,” he said, with the NRL issuing big bans in the past as a deterrent to players who argue they don’t have time in the heat of the moment to make adjustments.

“I want to reiterate that it’s not cool when someone gets hurt, but I think they used to talk about whether your legs leave the ground (then it’s a hip drop) but his legs never left the ground and he didn’t really get him, but it was bad enough.

“The velocity of how fast ‘Is’ (Iongi) was running and all that stuff (adds to it).

“I know they take into account the injury, and they’re already asking about it.

“I don’t (think it was worthy of a sin bin) but under the current interpretation (it must be). A player gets injured so someone has to pay for it. That’s just how we do it.”

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